The Beginner Student

I love taking Beginner classes, especially at the beginning of the year, when there may be a group of 15 - 20 participants who have never done Tai Chi or Qigong. How we handle this very first session will pave the way for their future enjoyment and commitment to their learning.

I often compare teaching beginner students to fishing - you need to cast the line gently and far enough to catch their interest, and reel it in slowly enough not to lose them. Too much information will be confusing and too little will be boring.

Usually, beginner students will not ask questions until they feel comfortable within the class. A sense of trust develops over a few weeks, after which time, they will begin to feel confident. Asking, ‘Are there any questions’ to a beginner student is like asking someone if they have any questions regarding string theory. Where does one start? So many questions, and everything in the beginning weeks is just a blur. Beginner students need repetition of movements, light heartedness so they don’t feel the stress to achieve at a given rate and enough challenges to keep them interested.

I start with simple Qigong exercises, letting students explore and practice shifting weight, coordination and working out their left from their right! These Qigong exercises might include a couple of postures from a Shibashi set. The first class will always include simple Tai Chi stepping and a couple of postures they can practice at home. After a couple of weeks (depending on their progress) I’ll introduce the first half of Shibashi 1, explaining how the arms move, how the weight shifts and the breathing pattern. During the following weeks, I’ll talk less and let the students enjoy the calm and stillness of these exercises. More Tai Chi postures will be introduced and the second part of Shibashi 1 will be taught. I have found it takes about 10 weeks (a school term) for beginner students to feel relaxed and able to follow instructions. Each session has familiar movements as well as new exercises.